Could foot traffic take over Traffic Bridge?

The future of Saskatoon's history-laden Traffic Bridge may be as a placereserved for cyclists and pedestrians, people at city hall say.

The 103-year-old structure that connects Victoria Avenue to 3rd Avenue South and Spadina Crescent is due for a major makeover, a topic the city's heritage committee is scheduled to discuss Wednesday.

The bridge is known for its tight driving lanes leading some people to call it the Scary Bridge and is beginning to show its age.

The city has now hired a consultant to study a variety of uses for the bridge, and turning it into a pedestrian bridge is a possibility, saidCoun. Charlie Clark. People can walk across now, butthe bridge ismainly used for vehicle traffic.

"More and more we are talking as a city about making it easier and more accessible for people to walk and bike as a viable transportation option and so let's put that into the mix," Clark said.

Clark and the heritage committee also want to see the bridge receive special heritage designation, which would ensure the bridge could receive enough money to remain operational.

City archivist Jeff O'Brien said the bridge occupies an important place in Saskatoon history and it's important to keep it intact.

When it opened in October, 1907, it was the first road bridge in Saskatoon. The Traffic Bridge also paved the way for the amalgamation of the towns of Saskatoon, Nutana and Riversdale, historians say.

Clark said the public will be consulted about future plans for the Traffic Bridge, although no dates have been set.